Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein gp46 interacts with cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

The major receptors required for attachment and entry of the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) remain to be identified. Here we demonstrate that a functional, soluble form of the HTLV-1 surface envelope glycoprotein, gp46, fused to an immunoglobulin Fc region (gp46-Fc) binds to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on mammalian cells. Substantial binding of gp46-Fc to HeLa and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) K1 cells that express HSPGs was detected, whereas binding to the sister CHO lines 2244, which expresses no HSPGs, and 2241, which expresses no glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), was much reduced. Enzymatic removal of HSPGs from HeLa and CHO K1 cells also reduced gp46-Fc binding. Dextran sulfate inhibited gp46-Fc binding to HSPG-expressing cells in a dose-dependent manner, whereas chondroitin sulfate was less effective. By contrast, dextran sulfate inhibited gp46-Fc binding to GAG-negative cells such as CHO 2244, CHO 2241, and Jurkat T cells weakly or not at all. Dextran sulfate inhibited HTLV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env)-pseudotyped virus infection of permissive, HSPG-expressing target cells and blocked syncytium formation between HTLV-1 Env-expressing cells and HSPG-expressing permissive target cells. Finally, HSPG-expressing cells were more permissive for HTLV-1 Env-pseudotyped virus infection than HSPG-negative cells. Thus, similar to other pathogenic viruses, HTLV-1 may have evolved to use HSPGs as cellular attachment receptors to facilitate its propagation

Restraining FOXO3-dependent transcriptional BMF activation underpins tumour growth and metastasis of E-cadherin-negative breast cancer

Loss of cellular adhesion leads to the progression of breast cancer through acquisition of anchorage independence, also known as resistance to anoikis. Although inactivation of E-cadherin is essential for acquisition of anoikis resistance, it has remained unclear how metastatic breast cancer cells counterbalance the induction of apoptosis without E-cadherin-dependent cellular adhesion. We report here that E-cadherin inactivation in breast cancer cells induces PI3K/AKT-dependent FOXO3 inhibition and identify FOXO3 as a novel and direct transcriptional activator of the pro-apoptotic protein BMF. As a result, E-cadherin-negative breast fail to upregulate BMF upon transfer to anchorage independence, leading to anoikis resistance. Conversely, expression of BMF in E-cadherin-negative metastatic breast cancer cells is sufficient to inhibit tumour growth and dissemination in mice. In conclusion, we have identified repression of BMF as a major cue that underpins anoikis resistance and tumour dissemination in E-cadherin-deficient metastatic breast cancer